MIRACOSTA TEXTBOOK FUNDRAISERS

In an economy in which donors are tightening purse strings, North County's community college foundations are striving to show how the schools benefit their communities.

“I think what's often missed about the community college mission is what we do around the economy and work force development,” said Palomar College Foundation spokesman Rich Talmo, noting the school's partnership with United Parcel Service and other employers.

“If you walked into any bank in our community and said, 'Who went to Palomar College?' you'd get four or five hands that would go up,” Talmo said. “Approximately 60 percent of our 33,000 students are actually here because of career needs. They've either lost their jobs, want to get a certificate ... or want a promotion.”

Linda Fogerson, executive director of the MiraCosta College Foundation, said students who transfer from MiraCosta to four-year universities typically wind up with a higher grade-point-average than those who attend a university all four years.

“What you're doing is allowing more people to become more highly educated” and employable, Fogerson said. “It's an important steppingstone to a four-year university. ... They get good jobs and pay taxes in their community.”

The nonprofit Palomar College Foundation has set a goal of raising $150,000 by the end of the month. Nearly 100 foundation volunteers, including its board members, will be soliciting donations within Palomar College's 2,200-square-mile district, trying to offset lost funding from the state budget deficit.

As part of Campaign for Palomar College, volunteers will shoot for $25 or $50 from first-time donors.

The campaign was suggested by Palomar College Foundation board member Nick Barnett, who also serves on the Palomar Family YMCA board of directors.

Unlike a gala or other fundraising event, where a percentage of the funds goes toward overhead, “95 cents on the dollar (from Palomar's campaign) goes right to either a student scholarship or equipment that might be needed in a laboratory or other classroom,” Barnett said.

Last month, the Palomar College Foundation awarded $302,000 through 350 student scholarships. The college's gym floor is being renovated through a $25,000 award from the foundation.

“Budgets are getting killed these days, and the (college) foundations are there to fill these holes,” Barnett said.

Palomar and MiraCosta's nonprofit foundations also raise money to help students pay for textbooks, which can be cost-prohibitive.

“A kid might scrape together enough money to get into school, but all of a sudden they find out they've got a $150 accounting book that they didn't think about,” Barnett said. “They need help with that.”

MiraCosta College Foundation is planning two fundraisers for textbook scholarships: Aug. 8 at the Outback Steakhouse in Oceanside and Aug. 30 at the Del Mar Racetrack.

Money from the Outback luncheon will help buy textbooks for some of the roughly 300 veterans who attend MiraCosta.